On the first day, Spurlock felt the
hamburger was delicious, and he enjoyed it very much. But over
time the fast food made his health worse. He gained 12 pounds
in 12 days. Maintaining his weight required only 2,500 calories
every day. However, he absorbed 5,000 calories every day on his
McDonald’s diet.

After 20 days Spurlock had a headache, was depressed and tired.
When he had his health checked at a hospital, he could see the
thick oil in his blood as it filled the test tube. The test showed
his uric acid level was too high; his cholesterol had risen from
185 to 225 (normal is under 200), and his liver was becoming
fatty.

Spurlock’s health report was only a warning. After 30 days,
his weight increased by 24 pounds, his cholesterol was 230, and
his body fat increased from 11 percent to 18 percent.

Nutritionist Dr. Lisa Young of New York University compared the
calories in different size of McDonald’s meals. A portion
of small French fries has only 200 calories, but a large size
has 600 calories. A small Coca-Cola is 12 ounces but today one
can order medium, large, or super large size, which is 64 ounces.

Who buys the super-size meal? “A lot of people,” said
Christine Mophy, 46, a worker at McDonald’s. For consumers,
super size seems a bargain: for a few cents more they can get
a bigger meal. However, increasing already high salt, sugar,
and fat content can cause health problems.

McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in 1955. By 2002,
McDonald’s had 31,000 retail stores in 121 different countries
and fast-food restaurant chains had multiplied to include Burger
King, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Jack in the Box.

Fast is a main feature of the fast-food restaurant, and hamburgers,
French fries, and soft drinks take little time to prepare and
are easy to dispense. However, they are not in themselves healthy.
A hamburger contains bread, meat, cheese, and few vegetables
and condiments. French fries are potatoes, oil, and salt. Soda
drinks are sugar, caffeine, and carbolic acid.

“
My suggestion to McDonald’s is to put more healthy food
into their menu, and change the way they cook their meals,” said
Susan Kiloa, 52, who sometimes lets her children eat at McDonald’s.
She suggested that McDonald’s add low-fat food to its menu
and not fry everything. More vegetables in the hamburger could
balance the nutrition that individuals need each day. “Sometimes
I would like go to the McDonald’s with my children if I
am busy or lazy to cook. However, I only go to there once or
twice a month,” Kiloa said. “I prefer to cook for
my family because I am concerned about their health.”

Sharon Ka‘iulani Odom, a nutritionist at Kaiser Permanente,
recommended that “People eat the fast food not more than
twice per month.” Odom added that they should also “exercise
about 20 to 30 minutes every day.” Odom also recommended
that people prepare their lunch at home and bring it to their
office or school. This way, they can include more vegetables
in their meals. “More vegetables and fruits, can improve
your metabolism,” Odom said.